News Several FH staff backed up by customs and the Precious Metals Inspection Bureau meticulously searched baggage and freight to unearth any fraudulent timepieces that could wind up being exhibited at Baselworld.
For a number of years the FH has conducted surveillance activities at Zurich and Basel airports in the days preceding the opening of Baselworld. The aim is to check watches entering Switzerland through passenger and freight channels in order to detect fraudulent geographical indications of Swiss origin, thereby nipping in the bud any attempt to exhibit such pieces at the Show.
This year, FH staff was present in Zurich on 23 and 24 April and in Basel on 24 April to fulfil its surveillance brief. As usual, collaboration with customs and the Precious Metals Inspection Bureau was excellent and extremely rewarding.
To ensure that controls are as efficient as possible, three main tasks are carried out: firstly, a systematic verification is made of ATA carnets. If watches are mentioned in the latter, products are checked for any indication of Swiss origin. Secondly, passenger traffic is also closely monitored. For «high risk» flights (mainly those from Asia), all baggage is scanned and searched whenever watches are identified. And thirdly, several weeks before the Show, customs place under surveillance those companies with a record of abusing geographical indications of Swiss origin. As a result, whenever a freight consignment from or to such a company is identified, it is isolated so that the FH can check its contents.
If the Swiss origin of watches cannot be proved or the markings are clearly illicit, several options are possible according to circumstances: if only a few watches are involved, the markings may be scraped off directly by customs. Where large numbers are involved, the watches are generally impounded. In some cases, arrangements are signed with the rights holders who imported non-conforming products into Switzerland. Such agreements stipulate future compliance with Swiss law by the offending companies under threat of heavy financial penalties.
During this year’s operation, several hundred passengers had their luggage painstakingly searched. In all, around ten consignments were isolated and several thousand watches were inspected.
The systematic presence of the FH at passenger security has already had a preventive effect, but despite everything more than a dozen smugglers were brought to book, mainly for use of the prohibited «Swiss Movt» mark, and several tens of watches were modified on site. In two cases in particular, involving respectively sixteen and five watches showing a «Swiss Made» mark without proof of origin, the pieces were impounded temporarily and returned to their owners in Basel once proof of origin had been provided and an arrangement signed.
This year, the biggest fraud was discovered during a freight check. Careful inspection of a consignment of 700 timepieces addressed to a hotel in Basel led to the seizure of nearly 230 watches unaccountably marked «Genève», «Swiss EB» or «Swiss Made» according to models. All timepieces bearing illicit markings were impounded by Zurich airport’s Precious Metals Inspection Bureau pending their destruction or placing in conformity.
In total, nearly 250 watches were seized and around thirty modified, which made the effort very worthwhile.
May 08, 2013
